1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to security in a computer system, and more particularly to using a cryptographic token to provide two-piece user authentication in a computer network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today's businesses invest large amounts of money in hardware and software, and even more money is spent developing information contained in data files such as text documents and spreadsheets. Protecting such investments can be critical to the success and reputation of a business. Public accounts of the exploits of computer "hackers"--as malicious code-breakers or eavesdroppers are sometimes called--have therefore focused and magnified corporate desires for secure communications and better methods of protecting data. The scope of the problem is undoubtedly even more serious than reported, given the reluctance of many businesses to report security breaches. As a result, security conscious users are requesting that security and integrity features be incorporated into their computer networks to restrict access to data contained on hard drives, as well as information contained in other critical network components.
One known approach to security involves encryption or cryptography. Cryptography is typically used to protect both data and communications. Generally, an original message or data item is referred to as "plain text", while "encryption" denotes the process of disguising or altering a message in such a way that its substance is not readily discernable. An encrypted message is called "ciphertext". Ciphertext is returned to plain text by an inverse operation referred to as "decryption". Encryption is typically accomplished through the use of a cryptographic algorithm, which is essentially a mathematical function. The most common cryptographic algorithms are key-based, where special knowledge of variable information called a "key" is required to decrypt ciphertext. There are many types of key-based cryptographic algorithms, providing varying levels of security.
The two most prevalent cryptographic algorithms are generally referred to as "symmetric" (also called secret key or single key algorithms) and "public key" (also called asymmetric algorithms). The security in these algorithms is centered around the keys--not the details of the algorithm itself. This makes it possible to publish the algorithm for public scrutiny and then mass produce it for incorporation into security products.
In most symmetric algorithms, the encryption key and the decryption key are the same. This single key encryption arrangement is not flaw-free. The sender and recipient of a message must somehow exchange information regarding the secret key. Each side must trust the other not to disclose the key. Further, the sender must generally communicate the key via another media (similar to a bank sending the personal identification number for an ATM card through the mail). This arrangement is not practical when, for example, the parties interact electronically for the first time over a network. The number of keys also increases rapidly as the number of users increases.
With public key algorithms, by comparison, the key used for encryption is different from the key used for decryption. It is generally very difficult to calculate the decryption key from an encryption key. In typical operation, the "public key" used for encryption is made public via a readily accessible directory, while the corresponding "private key" used for decryption is known only to the recipient of the ciphertext. In an exemplary public key transaction, a sender retrieves the recipient's public key and uses it to encrypt the message prior to sending it. The recipient then decrypts the message with the corresponding private key. It is also possible to encrypt a message using a private key and decrypt it using a public key. This is sometimes used in digital signatures to authenticate the source of a message.
One problem with public key algorithms is speed. Public key algorithms are typically on the order of 1,000 times slower than symmetric algorithms. This is one reason that secure communications are often implemented using a hybrid cryptosystem. In such a system, one party encrypts a random "session key" with the other party's public key. The receiving party recovers the session key by decrypting it with his/her private key. All further communications are encrypted using the same session key (which effectively is a secret key) and a symmetric algorithm.
The number of cryptographic algorithms is constantly growing. The two most popular are DES (Data Encryption Standard) and RSA (named after its inventors--Rivest, Shamir, and Adleman). DES is a symmetric algorithm with a fixed key length of 56 bits. RSA is a public key algorithm that can be used for both encryption and digital signatures. DSA (Digital Signature Algorithm) is another popular public key algorithm that is only used for digital signatures. With any of these algorithms, the relative difficulty of breaking an encrypted message by guessing a key with a brute force attack is proportional to the length of the key. For example, if the key is 40 bits long, the total number of possible keys (2.sup.40) is about 110 billion. Given the computational power of modem computers, this value is often considered inadequate. By comparison, a key length of 56 bits provides 65,636 times as many possible values as the 40 bit key.
Much attention has been given to protecting and authenticating communications and data as they are transmitted via internal corporate networks (intranets or LANs) and external networks (such as the Internet). One known method of offering limited access to a networked computer is through the use of passwords. A password is typically stored in a computer's battery-backed CMOS RAM memory. Before the user is allowed access to the computer or secured computer resources, the user is required to enter a password. Once a password is entered, the computer's power-on routine compares the password to the password in CMOS memory and, if they match, the user is allowed access. A main disadvantage of this system is that certain forms of attack can bypass the CMOS memory because in many cases it is not read protected. While generally effective, password protection is one-piece in nature and is only as secure as the password itself
Physical keys or tokens, such as those used to unlock a door, have also been used to permit access to a computer system. Like the password approach, this type of security is "one-piece" in nature, and is compromised if the key or token is stolen. Anyone possessing the key can gain access to the computer network and is accorded the same level of access as an authorized user. Currently, there exists no satisfactory method of verifying user identity in granting access privileges in a distributed computing environment.